Friday, November 16, 2012

Giving Thanks

Here at Shelburne Museum, we are getting excited for Thanksgiving. Are you going anywhere special for the holiday? I think I'll follow my flock down south, where it's nice and warm!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. Can you guess why?

...

The food!

I'm going to share with you the most delicious art we have at Shelburne Museum:

Severin Roesen, Ecstatic Fruit, 1852, oil on canvas

Can you believe this spread!? How many different kinds of fruit do you see? It looks ripe and ready-to-eat, but sometimes this artist painted fruit that was beginning rot. Why do you think he did that? Notice the pineapple and the watermelon--we might be able to buy these at any supermarket now, but in 1852 they were rare and exotic!

Patty Yoder, V is for Victor, a Natural Vegetarian, 1996, hooked rug

Can you figure out which vegetables make up all the parts of this ram? His legs are carrots! His chest is a pumpkin! What else can you find? The artist who made this rug loved her vegetable garden. Have you ever grown vegetables, or cooked something from your own garden?

Turkey, c.1949, wood

We couldn't do Thanksgiving without the turkey. You'll find these birds over the north and south doors of the Horseshoe Barn! If you or your parents want to learn more about them and other turkeys at the Museum, check out this Shelburne Museum blog post.

You know, I do love a tasty meal, but the best part of this holiday is giving thanks. This year, I'm grateful for all the families who visited the Museum, came to Owl Cottage, did Dive In activities, and emailed me their pictures!